Silicone Arts is increasing promotion of its synthetic replicas of human eyes for medical testing and training. Research and development director Matt Singer shows off an oversized model.

Special to The Commercial Appeal

Although Dermaflage Topical Perfecting Filler may work wonders in covering up scars and wrinkles, there's one thing the Memphis-made product can't conceal: success.

The signature product line of Memphis startup Silicone Arts Laboratories has been featured twice in the last three months on the QVC television shopping network and sales continue to climb.

The startup is showcasing its products at the CosmoProf trade show in Las Vegas through Tuesday, and the company has increased its distribution network and now ships products to customers in more than two dozen countries.

Not bad for a company that operated on a bare-bones budget its first two years, during which time the management team didn't take salaries. Instead, profits were reinvested in the company and used to develop multimedia marketing campaigns and attract additional creative talent. Now that bootstrapping is paying off.

"We learned how to be lean and build up our customer base that we could show to investors when we started trying to raise capital," said Silicone Arts CEO Oscar Atkinson. "Having a proven product from a company with an upward trajectory makes for a powerful story."

The lure of entrepreneurship appealed to Atkinson, a former Memphis investment banker and financial adviser, when his wife approached him with an idea to lead a new company. Marketing executive Jocelyn Atkinson, co-founder of Southern Growth Studio in Memphis, was working on a joint venture with former Hollywood special effects artist Matt Singer centered on a synthetic product that conceals scars and wrinkles for up to 36 hours.

Boasting plenty of creative capital, but needing a business leader to guide the startup, Silicone Arts began its ascent when Oscar Atkinson left the financial industry to focus full-time on advancing the company.

"I deal with entrepreneurs on a daily basis and I really enjoy seeing people like Oscar and Matt, who are creative and passionate about their companies," said Dr. Steve Bares, executive director of Memphis Bioworks. "That kind of enthusiasm spreads throughout the community and spurs development. I come from a Silicon Valley background and I know that entrepreneurship breeds entrepreneurship. It happens there and it's happening now in Memphis, thanks to companies like this."

Plugging in to the multibillion-dollar beauty industry, Silicone Arts offers concealers that match most skin types and can be worn comfortably and without detection. Initially marketed to customers who wanted to hide scars or blemishes, the product was eventually touted as a noninvasive solution for clients who wanted to minimize the appearance of wrinkles, but didn't want to undergo surgery or preferred an alternative to Botox. On-air demonstrations during QVC broadcasts and testimonials on the product's website led to a surge in sales.

"The anti-aging market is huge and our product is safe, painless and easy to apply and remove," Atkinson said. "We worked with beauty advisers in Los Angeles and New York to get everything right, and we think the time is right to expand our operations."

Atkinson will pursue new business opportunities for Silicone Arts and Dermaflage during the Las Vegas conference, positioning the company for continued growth. The Memphis operation doubled the size of its Downtown workspace to 2,000 square feet in the last year, and plans call for another expansion next year with a strategy to reach $10 million in revenue within five years.

The firm is also increasing its global presence, including promotion of its synthetic replicas of human eyes to be used in medical testing and training, and the heightened profile is great for the company, for Memphis and for the local entrepreneurial community.

To see a video conversation with Atkinson and Silicone Arts master colorist Meredith Pohland, visit youtube.com/watch?v=DiGjb2k0vAc.